Ask George: Is there a standard size ounce pour for wines by the glass? Lately it seems I’ve been paying more for less. Dan W., St. Louis
There didn’t used to be standard size pour (the accepted range was from 5 to 6+ ounces per glass), but there is now. And then there’s the “country club” pour.
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Restaurants these days generally pour 4 glasses per 750 ml bottle, or 6.34 ounces per glass. That measure has become so ubiquitous that serving any less opens the door to immediate and unpleasant criticism. Many restaurants, bars, and brewpubs will even order their stemware with a line etched at a certain level (many times it’s hidden in the logo), which provides peace of mind for the recipient and a reminder for the bartender not to get heavy handed.
Some establishments, however, choose to pour more than the norm. Three glasses per bottle (8.45 ounces) is a generous pour, often witnessed at country clubs and events where the facility is paid by the bottle. That portion, by the way, is the exact size of a quartino (a quarter of a 33.8 ounce liter), another serving vessel most often seen in Italian restaurants. The quartino is a popular compromise—it’s a little more than a glass and a lot less than two.
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